Curette



Aug. 23, 1955 K. s. MaGLEAN CURETTE Filed Nov. 21, 1952 INVENTOR. Kenia/Je/am/Vwaf 7mm/frs United States Patent O CURETTE Kenneth SheldonMacLean, New York, N. Y.

Application November 21, 1952, Serial No. 321,815

8 Claims. (Cl. 12S-2) This invention relates to surgical instruments forremoving material from the walls of a cavity, and more particularly tocurettes.

It is an object of this invention to provide a curette having a tubularmember as its central part leading from a spoon to a discharge opening.

It is another object of this invention to provide a curette adapted tofacilitate the removal of the collected material through a hollow shankinto a hollow handle and a discharge opening at the opposite end of thecurette from the spoon.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a curette witha removable blade seated in a spooncontaining head so as to becompletely enclosed except for the Working surface.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a curette fromwhich the material may be removed by suction.

These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent uponconsideration of the following description, taken together with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a curette according to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the curette, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a radial section of the curette of Fig. 1, taken on line 3 3of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the end ot the curette of Fig. 1 insection, with a suction nozzle in elevation; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the modified end of the curette of thisinvention.

In general, this invention provides a curette which has a centralpassage through a shank and handle from a collecting spoon adjacent ablade to a discharge opening at the opposite end. rIlle central passagefacilitates the removal of the collected material either by the suctionof the material or the flushing of the material from the curette, aswell as providing a storage place for the material in the curette.

Referring to Fig. l, a curette of this invention is shown having a mainportion 11. The main portion 11 has at one end a collecting spoon 12 anda shank 13 on which the spoon 12 is mounted. A handle 14 is detachablymounted on the end of the main portion 11 opposite the spoon 12.

As shown in Fig. 2 a central passage 15 extends to the main portion 11from an aperture 16 to a discharge opening 17. The central passage 15extends through the spoon 12 and the shank 13. The central passage 15opens adjacent a blade 18 at the end of the curette. This blade which isheld in position by any suitable means is mounted so that the blade 18projects beyond the aperture 16 a slight distance so as to provide aprojecting working edge 19. The end of the shank 13 adjacent spoon 12 iscurved so that the axis of the spoon 12 is at an angle to the axis ofthe shank 13.

rlice A valve sleeve is inserted in the discharge opening 17 and has ahead 21 which is positioned outside of the end of the main portion 11 atthe end of the handle 14. The valve sleeve 20 has a tubular passage 22which continues the central passage 15. The valve sleeve 20 is closed bya plug 23 which seats into the tubular passage 22. Adjacent thedischarge end of the curette 10 the handle 14 and the main portion 11are provided with small holes which, when aligned, provide an air vent24 from the central passage 15. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this air vent24 is in the upper side of the handle 14 and main portion 11 extendingvertically downward. The valve sleeve 20 is split by a central slot 25,as shown in Fig. 3. The valve sleeve 20 is rotatable with relation tothe handle 14 and main portion 11 so that the slot 25 may be moved inand out of alignment with the air vent 24. When the valve sleeve 20 isrotated to be out of alignment with the air vent 24, the air vent 24 isclosed ofi from the central passage 15. The head 21 of the valve sleeve20 provides a convenient means for rotating the valve sleeve 20.

In Fig. 4, a suction nozzle 26 is shown positioned in the tubularpassage 22. The nozzle 26 may be connected by suitable means to anysuction apparatus. In Fig. 5, a tube 27 according to this invention isshown with a modiied discharge end for receiving a modied nozzle 28. Themodied nozzle 28 has a male thread 29 which screws into a suitablefemale thread 30 in the interior of the tube 27. Similarly to nozzle 26,nozzle 28 may be suitably connected to suction means for removingmaterial from the tube 27.

The nozzle 26 of Fig. 4 may be replaced by a suitable syringe, notshown. The syringe filled with a iiushing luid is inserted in thetubular passage 22 and operated to discharge into the central passage15, forcing before it material out through the aperture 16 of the spoon12.

The device of this invention is used to remove material from internalcavities of the body. Among the purposes of the removal of the materialfrom the internal cavities of the body is the obtainment of samples ofthe cavity Wall for examination and testing. The device of thisinvention facilitates this operation. In the use of the device of thisinvention the tool, properly sterilized, is used with the handle 14positioned as shown in the figures. The valve sleeve 20 is positionedwith the central slot 25 in alignment with the air vent 24. The curette1t) is inserted in the internal cavity and operated so that the edge 19of the blade 18 scrapes the desired material from the cavity Wall. Theremoved material is received through the aperture 16 into the spoon 12.As more material is collected, the material in the spoon 12 is forcedinto the central passage 15 of the shank 13. The material can becollected in the central passage 15 in considerable quantities so thatit is not necessary to remove the curette from the cavity until thedesired amount of material has been collected.

The handle 14 remains outside of the cavity. The air vent 24 in thehandle 14 provides an escape for the air in the central passage 15 asthe material is collected therein. The curette lil may be used tocollect the sample material in the passage and retain it there until theend of the operation, at which time the material is removed from thepassage 15. When the curette is thus used, the plug 23 remains xed inthe tubular passage 22 of the sleeve 20 to close the discharge opening17.

The curette 10 may also be operated to remove the material constantlyduring the operation. This is obtained according to this invention byattaching a vacuum line to the discharge opening 17 after a removal ofthe plug 23. The valve sleeve 22 is rotated to the position shown inFig. 4 so that it closes the air vent 24. The nozzle 26 inserted in thedischarge opening 17 and attached to a vacuum means applies suction tothe central passage during the use of the curette 10 in the operation.Thus, as the material is collected the spoon 12 it is drawn thrQugll theCentral passage 1.5 and eut. threuehhe nozzle 2.63 In the. med'ied fQrIr'l @fthe emette of tlisinvention ShQwn in Eig- 53111@ modifiednozzle Zfijs Serene@ int@ the Central' passage 1 '51 The. @rette stheaelerateA the same as for the 'embodiment described above.`

When the emette, 1.0 is .used t0 celled and' retain. the. material inthe central passage 15, the material i's removed after the operation.This removal is achieved by removing, the plus 2-3 from the discharge.Qpenns, 1 7 and in- Setina a Syringe im@ the discharge Opening. l?.similar to. the lSlion of the nozzle 26, as shown in Fig. 4. UponOperation ofthe. Syringe the material' iS than flushed from the curette.

The device of thijs` invention is of' particular value in the removal`of the entire lining of an internal body cavity. In carrying on such anoperation the device of this iriventionl provides a` widel mouth and' awide blade of sub: stantially the same width as they mouth which removeand collect material and funnel it into a narrower passage. The effectof` the relationship of the parts is such asto employ the cooperationbetween the cavity lining: and the Wide mouth aperture 16 to produce apressure on the collected material which will facilitate the movement ofthe collected material 'm the passage 15'. In one type of use devices ofthis invention are used to removethe entire lining of a body cavity byinserting the instrument into the cavity and by continuous strokesscraping the lining. At the same time, the instrument is graduallyYrotated so that. the aperture 1 6 continually faces a new portion ofthe cavity wall. Finally, the entire lining will be removed uponrotating the instrument through a circle ofy 360'. It will be understoodthat in operations of the type described several instruments may beneeded for a single operation.

Itis a feature of this invention andi the operation of the d eviceofthisV invention that the aperture 16,' has a relatively larger area thantheY radial area ofthe hollow passage. The spoon 12/ has a funnelshape,tapering from, a wide portion at the aperture 16 to a relatively narrowportion at the junction with the shank 13.

Among the advantages of this invention is the provision of an instrumentwhich facilitates the operation of' removing body cavity lining byemploying the pressure of the bodyA cavity lining on the large apertureto force material into the central passage. In the removal of theVcavity lining it isoften important that no shred of the collectedmaterial be lost from collection. This complete collection is often ofvital importance where certain pathological tests and determinations areto be carried out. The f device of this invention assist-s the recoveryof-y such material.

Blade 18 may be removable from the spoon 12 of the curette 10. Thismodilication ofthis invention h asthe added advantage of removability.The blade is positioned across the end of the wide aperture andcooperates therewithto remove for collection the desired material.

Various modiiications may be made in the device of this inventionwithout departing from the spirit thereof. Other applications of theprinciple of the present invention will read-ily be apparent to thoseskilled in the artof surgical instruments. All such variations,modilications and extensions of the principles of the present inventionare to beunderstood asbeing embraced Within the appended 4 Y claims. Theinventor desires to be limited by the scope of those claims alone.

What is claimed is:

1. A curette including in combination a collecting portion, a hollowshank' attached to said collecting portion, a removable handle at theopposite end of said shank from said collecting-portion, a dischargeopening from said hollowshank ladjacent handle, a valve inserted in saiddischarge opening and an air vent closable by said valve.

2. A. curette; including in. combination a spoon. portion, a blade saidspoon portion, a receiving recess in said spoon adjacent said blade, ashank, a central passage formed in said shank-, a handle at the oppositeend of said shank from said spoon, an air vent from said hollow centralpassage in said handle portion, and a discharge opening adjacent saidhandle.

3. A curette as claimed in claim 2, said blade being removably mountedin said spoon portion.

4. A curette comprising: a spoon portion, a blade mounted in s aid spoonportion and ash-ank, said shank and said spoon portion having a lcentralpassage therethrough, said spoon portionV contain-ing an apertureformedin a plane at a slight anglewith the longitudinal axis of said shank,said blade having a cutting edge extending beyond said aperture planeandV said central passage of said shank having a discharge opening atthe opposite end of said shank from said aperture.

5. A curette as set forth vin claim 4, said blade being removablymounted in said spoon portion.

6. A curette comprising: a spoon portion, a blade mounted in said spoonportion, a shank, said shank and said spoon portion having acentralpassage therethrough, said spoon portion containing an; apertureformed ina plane at a slight angle with the longitudinal axis' ofsaidshank, said blade having a cutting edge extending beyond said'aperture plane, saidl aperture forming a relatively large opening ofsaid central passage, a cylindrical wal-'l defining the major portion ofsaid passagein said shank and having a radial area relatively smallerthan the area ofi said aperture and a discharge opening of said centralpassage at the opposite end of said shank from said relatively largeaperture.

7. A curette including in combination an elongated collecting portion, ahollow shank attached to said collecting portion, said shank and saidcollecting portion having a central passage extending therethrough, saidcollectingporti'on having an aperture thereinl formed in a plane at aslight angle with the longitudinal axisy of said References Cited in-theiileof this patent UNITED STATES` PATENTS.

1,749,939 Mierley Mar. .11, 19.30v 1.98.3,601 Conn Dec.. 151',Y 193.42,431,329: MQOre Mar. 95. 1,948 2,531,730 Henderson Nov. 28, 195,0

